Priority to cattle smugglers!

Farmers of Dahagram-Angorpota in Patgram upazila have no free access to take their cattle through the Tinbigha corridor to mainland markets while certificates are allegedly being issued to the smugglers to sell cows.

The people alleged that the union parishad (UP) chairman and members issue only 60 certificates to take cows to mainland through Tinbigha corridor at Dahagram in the district.

Camp Commander of BGB 15 Battalion Nayek Shamsul Haque said the Dahagram UP chairman and members have been authorised to issue certificates to the farmers to take their cows to the mainland markets.

Nayek Shamsul said 60 cows are allowed to be taken through the corridor a week.

Dahagram UP Chairman Kamal Hossain Prodhan said there are 2,700 families in the union, each of whom rears five to fifteen cows. There are around 26,000 cows here, he added.

Shahedul Islam of Mahimpur village said he owns eight cows, but cannot sell them in the mainland markets without permission of UP representatives and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

Farmer Alfad Hossain of Angorpota said he could not sell his cows during the last two months as the UP representatives were not giving them certificates for the purpose. The UP representatives sell the certificates to the smugglers, depriving them, he said, adding that the smugglers take smuggled cows to the mainland market through the Tinbigha corridor showing the certificates.

Shahidul Islam of Dahagram said of the 60 certificates for 60 cows, 30 go to the smugglers, adding that the UP men earn Tk 10,000 from each certificate by selling them to the smugglers. Shahidul alleged that they were not allowed to enter mainland markets through the corridor along with their cows without certificates as the certificates were given to the smugglers.

A cattle trader at Dahagram said they are to spend Tk 10,000 for obtaining a certificate from the UP. He said they purchase a cow for Tk 10,000 to Tk 20,000 in the Indian markets and sell those for Tk 45,000 to Tk 65,000 in the Bangladesh markets.

Dahagram UP member Rasimuddin Mia said they never sell  certificates to the smugglers for selling cows, but some people do this business by taking certificates from them in the name of selling their cows. “We are now giving certificates after checking,” he said.

UP Chairman Kamal, admitting this as a problem in his union, said genuine farmers are now getting certificate for selling their cows in the market.

Nayek Shamsul said the BGB and India's Border Security Force jointly decided that 60 cows would be allowed from Dahagram to the mainland markets through the Tinbigha corridor a week with a view to checking cattle smuggling.